Eternal Love (Final Fantasy X/X-2)

Chapter 13: The Gift

Rin's Waffle House was packed for breakfast as it'd been every morning at the crack of dawn. Locals and tourists alike descended on the Lucan hot spot every day without fail, cramming in line for a chance to sit inside its sunshine-gold walls, in a black, cushioned booth, and eat the famous waffle's everyone in Spira had been talking about for months.

Since Rin owed Rikku for falsely accusing her of the machina mishap a year ago, the bubbly thief collected that morning by obtaining exclusive entry, for herself and Yuna, through the back-way to a secluded table inside the popular establishment. And Yuna couldn't be more thankful for the distraction, especially after her latest chilling encounter the other night.

Waffles and drake bacon wafted through the air, accompanied by the rich aroma of coffee, making Yuna hungrier by the second, and a tad disappointed that she'd have to refrain from consuming what had been her favorite morning beverage for years now. Tidus wasn't much of a coffee drinker, which had initially made the transition to a caffeine-free diet bearable. But now, she was in the position to be tempted. And ordering decaf would almost certainly reveal her condition to her intuitive cousin.

A young, Al Bhed waitress, sporting a black and gold uniform, greeted them at their table with a warm smile then handed each of them a sleek, plastic menu. "Can I start you off with something to drink? Or do you two need a few minutes to decide?"

"What's to decide!?" Rikku chirped. "Coffee! Lots of it! Just bring the pot. We'll finish it in—"

"Actually," Yuna quickly interjected, "I think I'll have a glass of orange juice. And maybe...a cup of honey-bush milk tea as well."

Silence came from the pleather booth across from her. Rikku looked completely shell-shocked, eyes fixed on the ex-summoner with her mouth slightly agape.

The waitress whipped out a pen and pad from her apron pocket, jotted the order down then looked at Rikku expectantly. "Do you still want that pot of coffee for yourself?"

"Uhh..." Rikku's eyes stayed glued on Yuna for a few more moments before she blinked and smiled up at the waitress. "You know what—yeah bring the whole pot. Something tells me I'm gonna need it!"

"Comin' right up." The waitress then turned to leave, and left Yuna alone with her cousin with virtually no time to prepare for the interrogation that would surely follow.

"Umm..." Rikku leaned in at the table, brows knit together in suspicion. "What was that!?"

"What was what?" Feigning ignorance, Yuna casually shrugged, knowing full-well her answer would only serve as a stall tactic.

"You've been drinking coffee every morning since the beginning of The Calm. What're you pregnant or something?"

Judging from her cousin's snort of a laugh, she wasn't serious about the question. But since Yuna didn't respond with her usual light form of scolding, or deny it for that matter, the hyper blonde's eyes grew wide in assumption.

Uh-oh... So much for waiting for the right time. At this rate she should've just ordered the decaf.

When Rikku inhaled a sharp breath, Yuna shot across the table and clamped a hand over her cousin's mouth, just in time to stifle the gleeful shriek now vibrating against her palm. "Shhh... Please... I can't have all of Spira learning of this. Not right now." Once the muffled shrieks went silent, Yuna slowly removed her hand then eased back into her seat, hoping her cousin would honor her wishes.

"Sooo..." Grinning from ear-to-ear, Rikku cautiously glanced around then leaned in when the coast seemed clear to whisper with excitement, "I'm gonna be an aunty!?"

"Rikku!" Yuna admonished in a harsh whisper. "We can't talk about this here!"

"Heeeyyy..." Rikku pouted. "You can't just lay this on me and expect me to forget about it." The blonde thief suddenly perked-up. "Hey I know! We'll just stay away from keywords! Oh c'mon, Yunie pleeease!?"